Canned oil display and can draining cabinet



H. J. SMITH A ri124, 1956 CANNED OIL DISPLAY AND CAN DRAINING CABINET 4 Shams-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1952 INVENTOR 15 w ATTORNEY$ Jim/W BY 2;; //,f

H. J. SMITH April 24, 1956 CANNED OIL DISPLAY AND CAN DRAINING CABINET 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 5, 1952 y lllllulllllllunz INVENTOR lwl'ufyelfim/ifi BY If" ATTORNEYS April 24, 1956 I H, J sMlTH 2,743,039

CANNED OIL DISPLAY AND CAN DRAINING CABINET F lled June 5, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR BY mam; Zmw' biiw ATTORNEY-9 April 24 1 H. J. SMITH 2,743,039

CANNED OIL DISPLAY AND CAN DRAINING CABINET Filed June 5, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 d lya. J19: 2.

INVENTOR 101% JJ'maZ/i/ ATTORNEYS CANNED OIL DISPLAY AND CAN DRAINING CABINET Harvey J. Smith, Greensboro, N. C., assignor to Modern Metal Products Company, Greensboro, N. C., a corporation of North Carolina Application June 5,1952, SerialNo. 291,845

. Claims. (Cl. 222-,112)

This invention relates to canned oil display and can draining cabinets particularly designed for use at antomobile service stations.

It is an improvement upon my cabinet disclosed and claimed in one or more of my following patents, and which is so .widelyused that it may be considered the conventional cabinet, for the purpose indicated: 2,320,159, May 25, 1943; 2,432,455, December 9, 1947; 2,443,837, June 22, 1948; 2,525,002, October 10, 1950; 2,571,071, October 9, 1951.

The conventional cabinet comprises a" casing having two opposite upwardly convergent inwardly set side walls forming display panels, partitioned in vertical planes to form side by side troughs in which cans of oil are stacked end to end for display purposes, the tilt of the display panels giving stability to the stacks, the end walls of the cabinet being vertical. On the inside ofthecabinet at a high position is a chute inclined rearwardly downward accessible through a door opening in the adjacent end of the casing, into which chute, emptied cans are placed, punctured end foremost for drainage, being frictionally retained, each can being pushed forward by the next can admitted. In the normal cabinet the chute holds two cans, so that each can introduced beyond the second, successively expels the foremost can from the chute. There is a largereceiver in the bottom of the cabinet into which the expelled cans drop. This receiver is removable through a large door opening in the same end of the casing as the access door opening to the chute. Beneath the chute is a tank that receives drainage from the chute. t

The oil accumulated in the tank may be drawn otfv from time to time through a valve or petcock. Since the cabinet is designed to be permanently anchored in an outside location, removable covers are provided for the display panels and common locking means for both of saidcovers and the doors which close the aforementioned door openings.

As these cabinets are frequently mounted between closely spaced gasoline pumps, with the display panels facing the runways on both sides ofthe pump, it is a disadvantage in having the large door in an end wall of the cabinet, for there may be cramped room between said end wall and the adjacent pump or other fixture to enable the service man conveniently to pull out the large receiver. It is one of the objects vof the present invention to dispense with the large end door and make the display panel on one side sectional, with the lower section removable, together with the display cans which it contains, thus providing an exit for the receiver in a direction in which there is unlimited room for its removal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display and can drainingcabinet of the type described, in which the chute is so constructed that the perforated end of the second can to be introduced will not seat congruently against the adjacent end of the first can and seal the second can so as to render it incapable of draining while it is behind the first can.

Still another object of the invention stems from the front and rear end panels 6 and 7 are secured at their Patented Apr. 24, 1956 widespread use of the new .detergent oils" which have the tendency to form tension films across the drainage space between the cans and chute, which upon bursting. spatter oil across the space behind the chutethrough which avoids this spattering.

interior guideways,the friction being derived from the resilient camber ofthe door.

Still another object of the invention relates to'an im proved locking system for simultaneously locking, the covers of both display panels and the door to the chute by a single manipulation of a common locking element.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cabinet. of the lowboy type, as contrasted with the; conventional cabinet having the signs on top, charac-,,

terized by location of the sign retaining structure at a lower level than the crown of the cabinet. j

, Other objects of the invention will appear as the following description of a preferred and practical embodi ment thereof proceeds.

In the drawings which accompany and form a part of v the following specification and throughout the figures of which the same reference characters denote identical parts:

reveal the display panel;

Figure 2 isan end elevation, parts being .shown in section;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cabinet, the lower section of the sectional display panel being shown ,removed;

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken along the line of Figure 2; FigureS is a vertical section taken along the line 5-5] of Figure 4; v

. Figure 6 is a cross-section takenalong the line 6-6 of Figure 4; I

Figure 7 is a'fragmentary cross-section taken alongthe line 7--7 of Figure 5;

8-8 of Figure 6; I

Figure 8 is a fragmentary section takenalong the line Figure 9 is a section taken along the line 9--9 of Figure 2;

Figure 10 is a section Figure 3;

Figure 11 is a Figure 5;

Figure 12 is a cabinet embodying the principles of the present inven tion;

Figure 13 is a section taken along the line 1313 of Figure 12.

section taken along the line 11 1,1 t

Referring now in detail to the several figures, the cabinet has'a generally rectangular base frame 1, con-,

sisting of relatively short side channel members 2 and I relatively long end channel members 3, the preferred. cross-sectional shape of said channel membersbeing-H shown in Figure 5, the open sides of said channels being toward the ground, the flanges being perpendicular thereto and the outer angles of said members being rounded for appearance sake. Said channel members are joined at the corners by externally rounded corner pieces 4, which have reduced ends telescoping into the channel members, and being welded thereto. Figure 4 shows that Stillanother object of the invention is to provide a] door giving access to the chute, slidable frictionally in,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an oil dispensing and'can draining cabinet embodying the principles of the invention, the display panel cover being in part broken away to taken along the line 10--10-of i perspective view of a highboy type i bases to the inner flanges er the opposite channel members" 3-. l Said it endpanelsextendto ground level-to rein force the channel members to which they are secured. The end panels, as shown in FiguresZ and 6, are up.- war'clly convergent symmetricallywith respect toa medial verticalplarre; Ahgleb'ars 8 or rectangularcross-section extend along the bases'ofmhe" end panels, each having Along the inner side of the relatively short channel members-tarmac seatsfor. theidisplay panels; These gled oross section'having a flange 11' secured to the back. flange of the corresponding hannel member 2, and a top flange-i2 which inclines "do'r'vriw'ard inwardly so as to lie perpendieulaifto the plane of'convcrgencyof the end panels. Since these flanges bear the load. of the cans carriedby the-display panels; they are supported by the braces.-13'. side edges of the end panels 6 and 7 are inwardly turned on a radius to form a rounded reveal 14 for the display panels. with "rabbe'ts inset with respect to the" reveals,'having back flanges 16. Opposit'eba'ck flangesldon the same side of the cabinet form supports for the sides of the display panels. Theyextend the full length of the .end panels above the base frame. p

The displaypan'els 17 and 18 are of. generally similar construction; the diife'rerices between them being incident to the fact that the former is integral. throughout its length, while the latter is divided into upper and lower sections. Figure 6 shows that each is formed from a iece of sheet metal considerably w'idtertha'n the finished panel, 'bent to form deep sides 19 terminating in outturned edge flanges 20 which seat againstth'e b'a'clc flanges 16 of the rabbetsof the end panels. display panels are crimped into flat pleats 21 of the same depthas'thesidesm'and parallel thereto, forming parti tions uniformly spaced with respect to said sides. and

each other, defining, troughs 22 designed to receive stacks of oil cans, 'onegrade toeach stack, said troughs being of a width very slightly greater than the diameter of the cans, and 'o'f'a depth about equal toh'alf the diameter of the cans.

Referring 'part-i'cularly'to" the undivided "display panel 17, it extends fro m the corresponding seat fla'nge 12 to the-level-of the lower member 23. of the sign frame shown in Figure 5 and presently to be described. Flt has a bottom 24 consisting offa member of rectangular crosssection havinga base flange 25 underlying the troughs with 'stru'ck-upend lugs 26 welded to the outer faces of the sides 19 and an intermediate lug v27 struck out from the base flange-and -c'ririiped b'etwee'nthe sides of the middle partition, and having a back. flange 28 engaging The end panels are formed Intermedi'ately the the'oute'r face 'of theplaniform rear wall 29 of the display panel and spotwelded. thereto. The edge flanges 20 The display panel 18 is divided into a fixed upper section 30'a'nd a removable lower section 31. The construetion of each. of these sections is similar to that ofthe display panel .17. The upper section has a bottomj24a and the lower section a bottom 24b, both of these hottoms being identical inconstruction, with the bottom 24. of 'the display panel 17,"a'nd.be'ing secured to the respective'sections in the same manner.

neflower section 31 rests freely upon the corresponding. s'ea't flange .12 with its-edge flanges 20 freely seated against the adjacent portionsof thelback fianges-lm The height offthesection-S'l is somewhat greater thanthe height of theremovabledrained can receiver-32,.Figure 5,

which jr'ests. upon ,the concrete and is lifted above-the i ba'se' fram'e'to effect its removal throughfthe spacewacated by the section 31. The latter has forwardly projecting laterally spaced handles33, by means of which it may be removed. These handles are secured to the partitions between the sides 19 and the middle partition. Each is of laminated construction, consisting of two outer members 34, embracing the partition'and welded thereto, and an intermediate filler piece'35 between the projecting portions of the members 34. The filler pieceand said projecting portions are congruent, shaped with a recess 36 to afford a comfortable fingerhold, and being welded together. The handles. are short enoughto be enclosed by the covers provided for the display-panels. The edge flanges 20 of the upper section are welded to the underlying portions ofthe back flanges 1.6.

Both the display panel 17 and the upper section 30 of the display panel 18 are provided near the top with a narrow transverse sign holder 36, consisting of a fiat strap having outwardly turned shallow retaining flanges 37 for receiving and retaining a sign .stripindicating the viscosity grade of oil in the cans stacked in the respective troughs. This sign holder rests against the partitions and issecured by sheet metal screws to theangularly turned ends of brackets 38 spotwelded to the inner faces of thesides 19,,and is located atsuch level as to come -be'ing above the display panel 17, and the other above the fixed section 30. Each consists of a three-sided channel frame having a lower horizontal member 23 and side members ll) open. at their upper ends. A sign 41, which may be of stiff material suchas tempered masonite, metal, "etc, is slipped into the sign frame fromthe upperopen end; fitting thechannels of all three. frame members.

The" inner fianges'of the side members 40-are formed at intermediate points with struck out tongues 42, Figure 5.

which ,pass through registering slots in the underlying. portions of the back flanges 16- and are. turned down against the inner sides of'said flanges. Theside members 40 rest against saidfianges. The upper ends of the side members 40.are provided with tabs 43 in the plane of their innerfianges', having screw holes whereby the upper ends of said framesv are secured totheback flanges -16-and thus fixedin place. An upwardly convex crown 44 has its. lower edges terminating in acommon horizontalplane, said edges fitting over and against the upper ends of the sign frames. and end panels. beiugscrcwcd to the latter. as indicated at. 45 .in Figure 3.

'The front end-panel 6 is .provided with a door opening 46,.the-top of which is ,at about the level of the bottom of thesign frames. 39. The shape of the door opening follows the convergence of the rear walls29 of thedisplny panels, being wider at the bottom than at the top.. .Said

door openingris faced 'with a peripheral frame having a front flange-47 against the exteriorof .the front panel 6.

for finish,uand a flange/48 which lines the edge'of the door opening. The width of the reveal 14 spaces the sides 19 0f the display panel .17 and the fixed section 30 of the display panel 31 sufficiently away from the end panel 6to leave room for a pair of vertical'channeled guide rails 49, one-on each side of the door opening. spaced apart-a width greater than the bottom of the door opening, as s'hownin'Figure 1 0; and welded to the inside of thepanelfia The door 50in unstressed state is slightly cambered transversely and is installed 'byfforcing it up between the channels of the guide rails which are suiticiently narrow to substantially straighten the door under tensiomas indicated in Figure. 10. This causes the .door to 'frictionallyfbind against the, sides of said channels and to retain any. open position to which it is moved. Genorally, it will. be opened all the way or completely closed. The knob 51 limits its range of movement by contacting the door-frarne'.. The-knob .is securedbya "projecting stud nut 56 on the inside of the door which stud nut cooperates with the locking instrumentalities, as will appear,

.An inclined chute 52 has its higher end facing the upper part of the door opening 46, far enough back of said door opening to clear the door, including the stud nut 56. Said chute is a folded piece of sheet metal having upper sides 53 engaging the rear faces of the display panel 17 and display panel section 30, and being secured thereto. It has lower sides 54, seen from the rear in Figure 5, which slope downward to an apex 55 at the longitudinal middle of the chute. The cans rest in the chute tangent to the lower sides 54, a drainage conduit of relatively small cross-section being defined by the cans and the bottom of the chute between theapex 55 and the lines of tangency of the cans. The chute is long enough to hold two cans end to end. The first can introduced occupies an upper position in the chute. No great care has to be observed in placing this can in the chute, except to see that the perforation in its front end is in a downmost position. If the first can is shoved in forcibly, it contacts the spring retarder 56, which projects into its path and stops its forward movement. The retarder is secured to a bridge piece 57 which bows upwardly above the chute out of obstructive relation to the path of movement of the cans, and has its ends secured to the upper sides of the chute. When the second can is introduced, it pushes the first can to a forward position in the chute, but still under the influence of the retarder, as shown in Figure 4. Obviously, most of the draining takes place while a can is in the high position, for it generally remains in this position for some time before the second can is introduced. If no provision to the contrary were made, the two cans would rest coaxially in the chute, and the forward end of the second can immediately upon its introduction would rest congruently against the unpunctured end of the first can effectively sealing the perforated end of the second can so that it could not drain. To prevent this eventuality, a pair of convex projections. 57' are pressed inwardly into the lower sides of the chute intersecting the respective produced lines of tangency of the second can when in its high position in the chute, said projections being less than a cans length but more than half a cans length from the mouth of the chute whereby when the first can has been pushed to its foremost position in the chute its rear end will havebeen tilted upward out of registry with the adjacent end of the second can, preventing sealing relationship between the adjacent ends of the two cans, and placing the perforation in the head of the second can below the periphery of the adjacent head of the first can. This will readily be understood from the showing in Figure 4.

It has been found that the class of oils now widely used known generally as detergent oils, have the property of forming a surface tension film or bubble across the drainage conduit between the cans and the bottom of the chute. This bubble generally occurs when the second can has drained to such an extent'that the oil drips from it into the drainage conduitat spaced time intervals. The first bubble forms a film across the drainage conduit, which film travels down said conduit and remains at the lower end thereof. The next bubble forms a similar film which likewise travels down, compressing the air between the two films. A point is reached where the air pressure bursts the lowermost film, causing a spatter of oil which impinges against the inner face of the end wall 7, runs down'said end wall to the base of the cabinet, finds its way to the concrete, and forms an ever expanding oil stain'on the pavement surrounding the cabinet, which of course, is extremely objectionable. The chute of the present invention overcomes this spatter by the provision of an upturned lip 58 at the extreme end of the chute, the upper edge of which barely clears the lowermostjarc of the front end of the foremost can. by slitting the chute transversely and turning the lip up- This lip is formed ward, the upper edge of the lip being one side of the slit", raised to form a drainage slot 59 behind said lip. Spattering oil is bafiied by said lip, and drains downward through said slot.

A reservoir 60 is arranged beneath the chute, extending sufliciently beyond the lower end of said chute to receive the drainage from the slot 59. The top of said reservoir is accessible through the doorway 46. The forward end of said reservoir is sufliciently spaced from the rear end wall 7 of the cabinet to provide a can passage overlying the drained can receiver 32. A deflector 61 is secured to the bridge piece 57 and to the rear wall 7 for turning the cans in their free fall from the chute so that they will fall end first and not jam in the passage 62 between the end of the reservoir and the rear end panel 7. Said deflector terminates in a baffle 63, the function of which is to guide the cans into the receiver 32. At its top, the forward part of the reservoir is bridged by a pan 64, the bottom of which slopes forwardly to drain through an opening 65 into the reservoir 60. Near its rear end, said pan has a struck down flange 66, forming an aperture 67 in front of it, in which the nozzle of the delivery spout which is used in servicing oil from the cans, may be thrust for draining the delivery spout into the reservoir. The bottom of the reservoir has a sump 68 to which is attached a discharge valve or petcock 69 which may be opened from time to time to drain accu- .mulated oil from the reservoir.

cessible by removing the lower section 31 of the display cabinet.

The back flanges 16of the rabbeted edges of the end panels 6 and 7, and the overlapping flanges 20 of the display panel 17 and the upper display panel section 30, which are welded to said back flange, are provided with through slots 70 near the top at a common level, and similar slots 71 at a common level adjacent the bottom of the section 30. These slots are to receive lugs on the covers 72. Said covers are identical, being upwardly convergent, each having an upwardly and inwardly sloping upper flange 73, the edge of which fits close beneath the bottom member 23 of the sign frame, and inwardly extending side flanges 74, the edges of which fit down in the lateral rabbets of the end panels. The covers have flat faces and are inwardly dished or chambered sufliciently to enclose the projecting halves of the stacked cans in the display panels and to enclose the handle 33 of the removable section 31.

Each cover has an obliquely positioned lug 75 secured at each side adjacent the top, and a pair of spaced lugs 76 secured to the side flanges 74 at the level of the slots 71. Said lugs project beyond said flanges and have slots 77 in I v the lower sides of their projecting portions of a width equal to the combined thickness of the united flanges 16 and 20. The slots 70 and 71 are longer than the width of the lugs, so that in mounting, the covers are first raised to enter the lugs into said slots and then lowered to engage the slots 77 over the lower ends of the slots 70 and 71. The locking means, as will appear, holds the lugs in this lower position.

Referring now to the locking means, this comprises a reinforcing plate 78 spot welded to the inner side of the front panel 6 below the door opening 46. The lock proper, which is an item of commerce and not a part of the present invention, is mounted on the outside of the end panel 6, having a stem 79 extending through aligned holes in said panel and reinforcing plate, which stem is released for rotation when the key is inserted in the lock. On the inside of the reinforcing plate and supported thereagainst is a cam 80 fixed to said stem so as to rotate therewith. It has a hooked keeper 81 at one point in its periphery and two diametrically opposite spiral slots 82 and 83 symmetrically v spaced with respect to the axis of rotation of said cam.

A pair of similarly shaped reversely positioned keepers 84 and 85 are pivotally mounted to the end panel 6 at points 86 and 87 above and at opposite sides of the cam, said keepers depending from their pivots, and having angularly The petcock is made acturned lower. ends "88 swingable ,in tarcs that' bring them,

immediatelyzabove theinwardly projecting portions of the lu'gs76of the covers when in locked iposition. The keepers 84 and 85 have portions that lap the cam 70 on opposite sides'nwith pins 89rprojecting lfromxsaid.lapping-portions respectively into the slots 82 and 83. The pins -are simultaneously in the inner ends'of theislots andsimultaneouslyprogress *to the outer ends "of :the @slots -:as tthe tcamis tinned on the .cam .as to lock thedoor simultaneously with thc'locking of .the' covers.

*Referring mow to the highboy version ofvthe oil dis-' play'andmandrainin'g cabinet, illustrated: inzliigures '12 and 13, such differences from the lowboy cabinet:hercinbefore described, :as are present, are'incident. tothe transposition of 'the signs from a location 'zbcneath'the crown to atposition on top of the crown. The sign frames 39 are :omitted and the display panels are extended to the crown 90. The latter is :fiat topped and has :a pair of pressed tup ridges 91 parallel to the longitudinal reenter linexcf the crown and equally :spacedtherefrom, with abrupt shoulders 92 facing said center line. These are retainers for the lower edges of the oppositelydivergentsigns 93. iln the middle of said center-line is a hole communicating with the threaded bore of a nut 94 welded to the under-side ot'thecrown. .Asign cap 95*is provided comprising-an inner channel member '96 having downwardly extending vertical flanges 97, and a wider outerchannel member 98 superposed uponmthe innerchannel member and spotwelded thereto, having downwardly extending flanges 99 flared at the angle of inclination of the signs. The channel members are as long as the signs. Corresponding flanges of each form grooves'between them receiving the top edges of the signs. A carriag'ebolt'100 passes through a central hole l'tll'in the'channelmembers, extends between the signs 'andpasses through'a central hole inthe"crown, being engaged'by a wing nut 94for'clamping "thesigns'between said channel members and thecrown. In allotheressentialrespects the structure of'the h'ighb'oy cabinet'and its appurtenant partsis the same as that 'of the lowboy cabinet.

'While I have in the above-description disclosed what I b'elieveto-be a preferred and practical enibodimentof the invention it will be understood by those skilled in theart thatthe specific details of construction and arrangement F of'parts, as'shown, are by 'way of example and not tobe construed as limiting the scope ofthe invention.

What I claim-is: I

*1. In a cabinet fordraining residual =oilfrom emptied oil-cans,"an inclined chute having lower, generally planiform sides meeting at the bottomina Widedihedral'angle havingits apex extending longitudinally of said'chute, and adapted to support a plurality ofcylindrical cans substantially along their line of tangency with said sides andout ofcontact withthe lowermost portion of said chute, formingan unobstructed oil-runway beneath said cans in end to end relation, a frictional retarder mounted abovesaidchute projecting .into the can path at apoint less than a caris lengthfrom the mouth of said chute to prevent cans from being freely ejected from said chute'by inertia transmitted to them at the point of introduction, a pair of cam projections extending inwardly from the oppositesides of said chute located at a pointless ,than a cans length but. more than half a canslength from the mouth of the chute, intersecting the respective produced 'lines of tangency of the next to foremost can with said sides. of the chute, to tilt up the rear .end-ofthe .foremost .can out ofsealingcongruency with the-adjacent .endtof. thesnext totforemostcan, and a reservoirbelowsaidchute positioned to receiveoil discharged.trom.saidchute, and out of obstructive relation-to canscjected from .said chute.

2. In a cabinet for draining residualoil from. emptied oil cans, an inclined-chute having lower, .generallyplaniform sidesmeetingzatthe bottomin a wide.dihedral ang'le. having its apex extending longitudinally .ofsaid .chute,=and adapted to support a plurality of cylindrical cans sub stantially along their line of .tangency with said sidesv and out of contact with .thelowermost portion of said chute, forming an unobstructed oil runway beneath said cans in end to end relation, a pair 'of cam projections .ex-. tending inwardly from the opposite sides of said chute locatedat a point less than .a-cans length butmore than. half a cans length from .the mouth -of thechute, .intcr-. secting therespective produced lines of .tangency of. the next to .forcmost can withsaid sides of the chute, .totilt up the rear end of the foremost can out of sealing congruency with the adjacent end .of the nextto foremost can, and a reservoirbelow said chute positioned to receive oil discharged from said .chute, and out of obstructive .rela-. tion to cans ejected from said chute.

3. In a cabinet .for draining residual oil from emptied oil cans, an inclined chute having lower, generallyplaniform sides .meeting at the .bottom in a wide dihedral. angle .having .its apex extending longitudinally of said chute, forming .a trough adapted to slidably support a plurality of emptied cylindrical cans substantially along their line of tangency with said sides and out of contact with the lowermost portion-of said chute, forming an unobstructed oil runway beneath said cans in end .toend relation, said chute having an upturned lip at its month end terminating substantially at the can path so as to. close said drainageco-ndnit. at said mouth end, adrainage. hole in said chute behind said lip, and a reservoir-beneath said-drainage hole.

4. In a cabinet for draining'residual oil from emptied oil cans, an inclined chutehaving lower, generallyplaniw form sides .meeting .at thebottomin -a wide dihedral angle having its apex extending longitudinally of said chute, forming a trough adapted to .slidably support .a.plurality. of emptied cylindrical cans substantially along theirline of ,tangency with said sides and out of contact with the lowermost portion of said chute, forming an unobstructed oil runway beneath said cans in end to end relation, a pair of can projections-extending inwardly from the .oppo-. site sides of said chute located at a point less than a cans length'nutmore than half a cans length from the mouthcf, the chute, intersecting the respective produced lines of tangency of thenext to foremost can with the sides vof said chute, to tilt up the rear end of the foremost can out of sealing congruency withxthe adjacent end of the next to foremost can, said chute havingan upturned lip at its month end terminating substantially at the canpath so as to close said drainage conduit at said mouth end, a drainage hole -in said chute behind said. lipand a. reservoir below said chute positioned to receive oil discharged therefrom, and out of obstructive relation to cans ejected from said chute.

5. Cabinet for draining residual oil from emptied'cans comprising a casing including opposite end panelsjn spaced parallel vertical planes, a door opening ,in zone. of said panels, an inclined, chute mounted in said cabinet with its high end .adjacent said door opening accessible. therethrough, and its mouth end toward theoppositeiend panel, a reservoir beneath said chute positioned to receive oil discharged from said chute, said reservoir and the mouth end of said chute being spaced from said. opposite end panel suflicientlyto provide a passage. for the free fall of cans ejected from said chute, a drained can "receiver,

below said reservoir positioned to receiveejected cans, said chute havinggenerally .planiform lower sides meet-. ing atthe bottom in a wide dihedral angle having-itsapex: extending :longitudinally'of .said chute, forming .a trough; adapted to. slidably support a plurality t of empty cylindrical cans substantially along their line of tangency with said sides and out of contact with the lowermost portion of said chute, forming an unobstructed oil runway beneath said cans in end to end relation with their axes in the vertical plane which embraces said apex, a retarder mounted above said chute projecting into the can path at a point less than a cans length from the mouth of said chute to prevent cans from being freely ejected from said chute by inertia transmitted to them at the point of introduction, a pair of cam projections extending inwardly from the opposite sides of said chute located at a point less than a cans length but-more than half a cans length from the mouth of the chute, intersecting the respective produced lines of tangency of the next to foremost can with the sides of said chute, to tilt up the rear end of the foremost can out of sealing congruency with the adjacent end of the next to foremost can, said chute having an upturned lip at its mouth and extending upward substantially to the can path so as to close said drainage chute behind said lip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 487,964 Pistorious Dec. 13, 1892 1 723,964 Wilson Marf31, 1903 2,199,970 Mitchell May 7, 1940 2,241,840 Achtziger May 13, 1941 2,343,248 Smith Mar. 7, 1944 2,443,837 Smith June 22, 1948 2,525,002 Smith Oct. 10, 1950 2,571,071 Smith Oct. 9, 1951 Fales Apr. 1, 1952 

